This will be my last building update for this calendar year. I wish I could announce that the building is complete, but that hasn’t happened. Prior to the Feast, we were given the date of Dec. 21 for completion, but then we experienced September and October, the two wettest months on record for a September and October with more than 30 inches of rain. We lost approximately 16 working days, or a little over three weeks.
The most recent completion date given to us by Highland Builders is the last week of January. Our lease here in Allen ends on Jan. 31, so we are still okay, but we will be pushing it a bit. We did lose a few more days in November and December because of weather.
I visited the site on Wednesday (Dec. 19) and saw good progress since our last meeting on Thursday, Dec. 13. Tile has been installed in the men’s and women’s restrooms. This is an upgrade from the original plan, and I believe everyone will be impressed by the quality. There is a different tile in each of the bathrooms, which adds to the beauty of the building.
The lower cabinets have been installed in the two break rooms.We are now waiting on the countertops, and then the upper cabinets will go in. These have all been custom-constructed at the cabinet shop, and we are just waiting on the countertops.
The big news this week is the delay in pouring the remaining concrete. Because everyone is so busy and our remaining concrete is only a small amount, we are having trouble getting the trucks scheduled. We think that problem has been resolved,and we are now scheduled to pour on Friday. Here is the front of the building where the sidewalks are ready for concrete.
After the sidewalks are poured and all the scaffolding is removed, the black tile for the seven pillars at the entrance will be installed. Since our building is the only construction on this portion of Medical Center Drive, it will make a big statement. Already you can see it from US-75, a half mile away. A 30-foot-tall entrance makes it appear much bigger than a single-story building.
We are eager to get it finished and get moved in, but we are learning to be patient!
Take a look at the drone footage from this past week.